TEHRAN – The Iranian Navy’s 27th fleet, comprised of the Khark helicopter carrier and the Sabalan destroyer, on Saturday and Sunday thwarted two attempts by pirates to hijack an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, according to the deputy commander of the Navy.

On Saturday night, the Iranian naval vessels intercepted a pirate boat that had surrounded and attacked the oil tanker and forced it to flee, Rear Admiral Siavash Jarreh said.

On Sunday morning, pirates came back in eight speedboats to attack the oil tanker, but they were again forced to flee after the Iranian warships opened heavy fire on them, he added.

Pirates operating off the coast of Somalia have expanded the reach of their hijacking attacks on merchant vessels and oil tankers in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden in recent years, making tens of millions of dollars in ransom, despite the fact that dozens of foreign naval vessels are patrolling the area.

AM/PA

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